Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 1, 1802).djvu/531

Rh rich, that without this precaution, it would be apt to separate. It is afterwards kept on dry boards, and turned daily, with cloth binders round it, which are tightened as occasion requires. After being taken out of the hoop, the cheese is closely bound with cloths, which are changed every day, till it acquires sufficient firmness to support itself: when these cloths are removed, each cheese is rubbed over daily, for two or three months, with a brush; and, if the weather be damp, or moist, twice a-day: the tops and bottoms are treated in a similar manner every day, even before the cloths are taken off.

Stilton cheese is sometimes made in nets, resembling cabbage-nets; but these are neither so good, nor so richly flavoured, as those prepared in the manner before described.

Although the Stilton farmers are in much repute for their cleanliness, they take but little pains with the rennet; as they, in general, cut small pieces from the vell, or maw, that are put into the milk; and, being gently agitated with the hand, break, or turn it, so that the curd is easily obtained. We venture, however, to say, that their valuable cheese might be improved, and few broken ones occur, if they would prepare the rennet in the manner adopted in the west of England; namely, by keeping the vell, maw, or rennet-bag (as it is differently called), perfectly sweet and fresh; for, if it be in the least degree tainted, the cheese will never acquire a fine flavour. When the vell, or maw, is fit for the purpose, a strong solution of salt should be made, with two quarts of soft, sweet, water, into which are to be introduced sweet briar, rose leaves, and flowers, cinnamon, mace, cloves, and, in short, almost every kind of spice and aromatics, that can be procured. The whole must boil gently, till the liquor is reduced to three pints, and care should be taken that it be not smoked. The spices should next be strained clean, and the liquid, when milk warm, poured upon the vell, or maw. A lemon may then be sliced into it, and the whole stand at rest for a day or two; after which it should be again strained, and bottled. Thus, if well corked, it will keep good for twelve months, or longer, possess a fine aromatic odour, and impart an agreeable flavour to the cheese.

II. is prepared in the following way: The evening's milk is not touched till the next morning, when the cream is taken off, and put to warm in a brass pan, heated with boiling water: one-third part of that milk is heated in a similar manner. The cows being milked early in the morning, the new milk, and that of the preceding night, thus prepared, are poured into a large tub, together with the cream. A piece of rennet, kept in luke-warm water, since the preceding evening, is put into the tub, in order to coagulate the milk; with which, if the cheese is intended to be coloured, a small quantity of arnotto (or of an infusion of marigolds, or carrots), is rubbed fine and mixed; the whole is stirred together, and, being covered up warm, allowed to stand about half an hour, or till it is coagulated; when it is first turned over with a bowl, to separate the whey from the curds, and broken soon after into very small particles: the whey being separated, by Rh